Harry,

 

Interesting article.  As a side note, I find it curious that Racial diversity is the go-to defining characteristic of diversity conversations.  Had the research question been more at total diversity/tolerance/interpersonal growth, the results might have been different;  for example, "How important to you personally is helping to promote understanding of people different than yourself?". To me, diversity also includes religion, economic difference, rural/urban contrast, various political views, social norm differences, sexual orientation,  cultural background, gender proclivities etc.  While race consumes us (in many cases justifiably so) we might gloss over other facets of diversity at our peril as we have all acknowledged the value of a diverse student body to our institution’s health.  I was surprised to learn how out of place a rural student from a 32 member HS graduating class can feel even at a small campus such as ours.  Students of faith aren’t always comfortable being open about that, poverty can put a student at a social disadvantage, conservative leaning students have shared their discomfort confronted with professors assuming a shared political view, students of various cultural backgrounds, some even recent arrivals in this country, suffer frequent unintended slights, etc etc.  Perhaps I am sensitive to these sometimes unacknowledged diversities because I am fortunate enough to be able to work with many of them.  The irony, of course, is that we are ALL fortunate to work with them but don’t always realize it because their “diversity contribution” isn’t as obvious as race.

 

Rick

 

 

Rick Jagels
Education Specialist
College Assistance Migrant Program
111 Wilsbach Hall
State University of NY College at Oneonta
(607)436-2297
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